Apparatus for steel plants.



PATENTED AUG. 20, 1.907. P. H. GROGKARD & s. HOSKING.

APPARATUS FOR STEEL PLANTS. APELIGATION FILED APR. 27, 1905.

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ENTED AUG. 20,1907. F. H. GROGKARDGz s. HOSKINIG. APPARATUS FOR STEEL PPAT LANTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27,

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INVENTORS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. OROCKARD AND SETH HOSKING, OF WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR STEEL PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK H. CROCKARD and Sn'rn Hosnme, both ofWheeling, Ohio county, and State of West Virginia, have invented a newand useful Apparatus for Steel Plants, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a Bessemer steelplant constructed according to our invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan viewshowing the converters and pouring tracks, and the tracks leading fromthe converters to the pouring tracks. a

Our invention relates to the manufacture of Bessemer steel and affordsimproved means for handling and pouring the metal after it has beenconverted, and overcomes disadvantages met with in the apparatus usedheretofore for this purpose.

Another object of our invention is to provide means by which the numberof operations required in changing the bottoms of the converters islessened and the time lost in operating the plant owing to the delayoccasioned by such changes is reduced.

In bessemer plants as constructed heretofore the equipment for handlingthe molten metal from the converters consists of a ladle crane whichcarries the pouring ladle and is adapted to be swung under each of apair of converters to receive the molten metal and then swung on itsaxis to the place where the metal is poured into the ingot molds. Theladle crane is vertically movable to permit of the ladle being loweredto receive the charge from the converters and to be raised sufiicientlyto enable the metal being poured into the ingot molds. As the one ladlecrane handles all the metal from two converters, it is necessary tochange the ladles on the crane more frequently than if each converterwere provided with a separate ladle. Any delay in the operation of thecrane or ladle also delays the operation of the converters, and in thisway prevents the plant from being operated to its greatest capacity. Thebottoms of the converters also require frequent renewals, and inexisting plants when a bottom is to be changed on the converter an emptyjack-car is placed on its track beneath the converter. The jack-car isprovided with a vertical cylinder, the piston of which is moved upwardlyuntil it is in engagement with the bottom then on the converter. Thebottom is then disengaged from the converter and lowered on the car, andthe car and bottom removed from beneath the converter. Another similarjack-car carrying the new bottom is then placed beneath the converter,and the bottom is raised into position on the converter and the emptycar then removed.

With plants having a ladle crane for handling the metal from theconverters the construction has been such as to prevent thetrackslocated beneath the converters from being extended beyond theconverters into the pit. This has made it necessary heretofore to removethe car carrying the removed bottom before the car with the new bottomcould be placed in position to be attached to the converter.

By means of our invention the dififiiculties heretofore met with areovercome and liability of delay in the continuous operation of the plantis greatly lessened.

In the drawings, 5, 5 are the converters pivoted on suitable bearings 6,6.

7 is an elevated track on which the ladle-car 8 travels in supplyingmolten metal to the converters.

In front of each of the converters are cranes 9, 9 by which the ladlesare tipped to pour the metal into the converters.

10 is a pouring house, which is preferably located at some distance infront of the converters in order to insure the pouring operation notbeing interrupted when the converters are tipped, and to remove theworkmen out of the heat of the blowing operation.

Leading from the pouring house 10 to each of the converters are elevatedtracks 11, 11, and mounted 011 these tracks are trolleys 12, 12 each ofwhich carries a pouring ladle 13, 13 The elevated tracks, as shown, areinclined upwardly from the converters toward the pouring house, and theladles 13, 13 are drawn upwardly on their track by means of the ropes14, 14, and suitable winding motors 15, 15 and run down the inclinedtracks 11, 11 by gravity. In this way the trolleys and ladles arereturned into position to receive another charge.

In the pouring house 10 beneath the tracks 11, 11 are parallel pom-ingtracks 18, 18 running transversely through the pouring house.

Mounted on the tracks 18, 18 are mold cars 19, 19, which carry the ingotmolds 20, 20. The mold cars are moved along the tracks in the operationof filling the molds by means of suitable car-moving mechanism 21, 21

After the metal has been poured from the ladles,the ladles are movedalong their tracks until they are over the cinder car 22, which isplaced on the cinder track 23, also running through the pouring house.When the ladles are in such position they are tipped to dump the cinderthereirom into the cinder car 22 by means of the cylinder 24 and chains25 passing over suitable pulleys 26, 27 located in the roof of thebuilding. A chain 28 passing over the pulley 29 is also provided forhandling the ladle stopper 30 by the workmen on the platform 31. Thepouring is controlled by the operators, and the mold-cars are shiftedalong their tracks from the pouring platforms 32, 32, in the pouringhouse.

Above the pouring tracks 18, 18 and elevated tracks 11, 11 is anoverhead traveling crane 18 by which the ladles are removed and replacedin their trolleys and by which the molds may be placed in uprightposition on the mold cars.

A track 33 leads from the bottom-house, in which the converter bottomsare repaired, and spur tracks 33 lead from the track 33 to pointsbeneath and in front of the converters.

By means of the jack-cars 34 the bottoms are moved on the tracks 33, 33to and from the bottom-house to the converters and are raised andlowered into and out of engagement with the converters.

Above and between the converters is a scrapping platform 35, which isconnected by a platform 35 with a hoist 36, on which the scrap used ishoisted to the platform, from which point it is placed in theconverters, as required.

The operation of a plant constructed according to our invention is asfollows:-The ladle car 8 is filled with molten metal from a cupola ormetal mixer, and the car is moved along its track 7 to a position infront of the converter in which the charge is to be placed. The ladle onthe car 8 is then tipped by means of the tipping crane 9 and itscontents emptied into the converter which has been turned on itstrunnions into position to receive the charge of molten metal. The ladlecar 9 is then taken to receive another charge of metal from the cupolasor mixer. Meanwhile the converter has been turned up and the blowingoperation commenced. When the blowing operation has been completed, theconverter is turned so as to pour the charge into the pouring ladle 13which has been moved along its track into position to be filled. Theladle 13 on its trolley 12 is then moved along its track until it is inposition above one of the pouring tracks 18, 18, and the ladle isadjusted vertically relatively to the top of the ingot molds, by raisingor lowering the inclined track on its pivot 16 by means of the verticaladjusting cylinder 17. The pouring operation is then carried on in theusual manner, after which the ladle is moved along its track until abovethe car 22 on the cinder track 23 and is tipped to dump the cinder andto make any necessary repairs to the ladle or ladle stoppers. The ladleis then allowed to run down its inclined track to receive another heatof steel, which meanwhile has been blown in the converter.

When it becomes necessary to change the bottom on one of the converters,two jack-cars, one carrying the new bottom to be placed on the converterand the other being empty, are moved along the spur tracks until theempty car is in position to receive the bottom of the converter. Whenbrought into this position the bottom is removed in the usual manner,and thereafter both ceases cars are shifted to bring the new bottomunder the converter in position to be raised and secured to theconverter.

By extending the spur tracks beyond the converters sufficiently to holdtwo jack-cars, it is not necessary to shift from the spur-track the caron which the removed bottom is received before the car having the newbottom is placed in position beneath the converter. In this manner lossof time in shifting the cars is avoided, and the time required forchanging the bottoms on the converters is reduced.

The advantages of constructing a plant according to our invention aremany. By dispensing with rotating ladle cranes a continual source oftrouble and expense is avoided and the possibility of a suspension ofoperations which would result from an accident to the ladlecrane isremoved. The absence of the ladle-crane, renders a top structureunnecessary and the expensive building over the converters may bedispensed with. This makes the heat from the converters much lessoppressive to the workmen. The pouring house being located at somedistance from the converters loss of time in pouring caused by the heatand sparks from the converters when they are turned down on thecompletion of the blowing operation is avoided. Each converter having apouring ladle, the metal can be poured in less time than where only oneladle is used to receive the metal from two converters. In case ofaccident to one ladle, the other can be operated, and a suspension ofoperations until the ladle is repaired is not necessary. By the use oftwo pouring tracks, different grades of metal can be made in theconverters, and by pouring the different grades on different tracks theymay be kept separate without trouble. By the saving in time in changingthe bottoms and in pouring the metal the output of the plant isincreased.

The elevated tracks which we show as inclined may be horizontal withinthe scope of our broader claims, and instead of converging toward thepouring tracks they may be parallel.

Other changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts may bemade within the scope of our invention, since What we claim is:-

1. In a bessemer plant, the combination with a converter and an ingotpouring track, of a ladle track in stationary position extending frombelow the top of the con- I verter to said pouring track, a ladlecarrier having a ladle and mounted on the ladle track, and means wherebythe ladle carrier is moved on said ladle track between said pouringtrack and converter; substantially as described.

2. In a bessemer plant, the combination with a plurality of converters,and an ingot pouring track, of ladle tracks in stationary positionextending from below the top of the converters to said pouring track,ladle carriers having ladles and mounted on the ladle tracks, and meanswhereby the ladle carriers are moved on said ladle tracks between thepouring track and converters; substantially as described.

3. In a bessemer plant, the combination with a converter and a pluralityof ingot pouring tracks, of an ele vated ladle carrier track instationary position extending from below the top of the converter tosaid pouring tracks, a ladle carrier having a ladle and mounted on theelevated ladle carrier track, means for moving the ladle carrier on theladle carrier track, and means for vertically adjusting the ladle andladle carrier above the pouring tracks; substantially as described.

4. In a bessemer plant the combination of a plurality of converters,means for supplying metal to the converters, a pouring track, elevatedladle tracks in stationary position extending from beneath theconverters to said pouring track, ladle carriers having ladles mountedon the elevated ladle tracks, and means for moving the ladle carriers onthe elevated ladle tracks between the pouring track and converters;substantially as described.

5. In a bessemer plant the combination of a plurality of converters,means for supplying metal to the converters, a

pouring track, inclined ladle tracks in stationary position extendingfrom beneath the converters to said pouring track, a ladle carrierhaving a ladle mounted on inclined ladle tracks and means for moving theladle carriers on the inclined ladle tracks between said pouring trackand converters; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK H. CROCKARD. SETH HOSKING. Witnesses Trros. A. BEATTIE, LAWRENCEH. UNDERWOOD, F. B. Donsn, W. F. CREIGHTON.

